Roulette

ARTICLES ABOUT ROULETTE BY DATE - PAGE 3

The White Sox finally have decided what to do with John Danks and Gavin Floyd the rest of the season. Sort of. Both will get starts in September and Danks will get as many as 11 days between starts. So will Mark Buehrle, but that also could change depending on which pitchers are called up with expanded rosters Saturday. Floyd is scheduled to start for the sixth time Wednesday. "Here's what's going on," pitching coach Don Cooper said. "John Danks is getting 10 or 11 days off. He's not going to pitch; we'll have sideline [sessions]

The scene: Friday evening about 8. The place: A Chicago-area grocery store. You have three items. So you take a chance on the express lane. Only four people in line. Unfortunately, the first person in line begins chatting with the clerk, who, instead of scanning items chats amiably with the customer. About 30 seconds pass. Not a single item is scanned. Dark murmurs are exchanged by the other customers marooned in line. Artery-bursting blood pressure surges. Such is the grocery-lane gamble.

An Elmhurst man convicted of murdering a York High School senior at the victim's 18th birthday party in 2004 while forcing him to play Russian roulette was sentenced Thursday to 75 years in prison. Anson Paape, 41, was convicted in a bench trial in March by DuPage Judge Robert Anderson of the June 9, 2004, shooting death of Michael "Mick" Murray in Paape's home in the 800 block of Hawthorne Avenue. Anderson's sentence includes 50 years for murder and a state-imposed additional 25-year sentence because the crime was committed with a handgun.

An Elmhurst man was convicted Friday of the 2004 Russian roulette murder of a family friend who was celebrating his 18th birthday. Anson Paape, 40, faces from 45 to 85 years in prison after being convicted by DuPage Judge Robert Anderson, who presided over a January weeklong bench trial. "The defendant suggested the game, supplied the weapon, loaded the weapon, put the gun to the head of the victim; he was familiar with the weapon and he pulled the trigger," Anderson told Paape, who showed no reaction when the verdict was read.

Trading for Gavin Floyd and Gio Gonzalez is one thing. Getting Jason Hirsh and Taylor Buchholz--along with speedy center fielder Willy Taveras--would be another all together. And dealing Freddy Garcia and Jon Garland within 24 hours to get those five players, as it appears the White Sox very nearly did, well, that would be one of the most curious things a baseball team has done since Sox players wore polyester shorts. For whatever reason, whether it was because Buchholz failed a physical or because Sox general manager Ken Williams got cold feet or a better offer elsewhere, the trade talks that had Garland going to Houston hit a serious snag Thursday.

Luckily for Bulls fans, Luol Deng's marksmanship is better than his analysis. Asked to explain what has fueled his offensive surge, which had featured him averaging 21.4 points in the five games before Saturday night's meeting with Washington, Deng put down his plate of pregame fruit. "I have no idea," Deng said. Coach Scott Skiles does. "The big key for Lu is he's gotten off the three-point line," Skiles said. "He's also gotten a little stronger, which has allowed him to get to the hole with some strength and take hits and still finish.

Somehow, in the space of several years, Joe Girardi has gone from cerebral catcher to control-freak manager. There's nothing inherently wrong with this kind of metamorphosis, if you don't mind all the facial tics. Being a control-freak manager sometimes is considered a bad thing in baseball, but it depends on the team and the year. The Marlins reportedly are itching to be rid of Girardi, who, if the whispers are true, not only overstayed his welcome, but had it planned down to the place settings.

Thinking about doing business in Russia? Listen to this: Five months ago the Russian Interior Ministry seized 167,000 phones from Motorola at a Moscow airport after they had been accepted for sale in the country. The Russians said the phones were counterfeit, then said they were contraband, then claimed they were a health hazard and finally said they were evidence in a criminal corruption case. Last week, authorities in Moscow gave 117,519 of the mobile phones, worth about $15 million, back to Motorola.

While a lot of players had reason to look forward to a day off Thursday, the Cubs had only one lingering casualty from Tuesday's 18-inning marathon against Houston. Left-hander Scott Eyre, who hurt himself breaking off the mound after an eighth-inning grounder from Aubrey Huff, was placed on the disabled list Wednesday. Eyre strained his right hamstring seriously enough that he will miss at least two weeks. He had been having a solid season after signing a three-year deal last winter, going 0-1 with a 2.60 ERA in 60 appearances.

When it comes to recovering from surgery, some patients seem to be superstars, while others take a much longer time to heal. For instance, one person may take months to recover from a knee replacement, while another is hitting golf balls at the driving range two weeks post-op. Cardiac bypass, knee replacement and hysterectomy are some of the most common inpatient surgeries performed annually in the United States. Specialists explain what goes into making a faster -- and a slower -- recovery from these procedures.